Decoding the electricity bill of your Airbnb
Nearly 40% of hosts over- or underestimate their electricity costs because they can't read a utility bill. This guide breaks down every line: subscription, kWh price, TICFE, CTA, VAT, TURPE. You'll finally know what you're paying, and what you should pass through.
Five components in one Airbnb electricity tariff
A French electricity bill is never a single price. It stacks five bricks: the fixed subscription tied to subscribed power (6, 9, or 12 kVA), the price per kWh consumed, the TICFE (excise on electricity, included in the posted price), the CTA (transmission tariff contribution, around 10% of the subscription), and VAT (20% on kWh, 5.5% on the subscription). The TURPE, the network share for RTE and Enedis, is bundled into the subscription.
The concrete result: on 100€ billed to a short-term rental, roughly 65€ correspond to actual consumption and 35€ to subscription, taxes, and the CTA. The true cost of a consumed kWh is therefore not the wholesale market price but the inc.-tax price on your grid (0.2276€/kWh on the base blue tariff option in 2026), plus a share of the subscription diluted over annual volume.
This structure has a direct implication for guest billing. A flat fee baked into the nightly rate exposes the host to a double risk: undercharging an energy-hungry guest in summer (AC) or winter (heaters), or conversely penalizing a sober guest. Billing at the actually consumed kWh through a submeter remains, to this day, the only honest, defensible method in front of the guest, tax authorities, and a judge.
Three steps to master your kWh price in short-term rental
A simple method to nail the right numbers, in about 45 minutes of calculation.
Identify your subscription
Find the subscribed power (6, 9 or 12 kVA) and the tariff option (base, or peak/off-peak) on your bill. A one-bedroom with electric heat rarely runs under 6 kVA, or roughly 155€ inc. tax per year.
Calculate your average kWh cost
Add the annual subscription and the value of the kWh used, then divide by the number of kWh. Example: (155€ + 2,800 kWh × 0.2276€) ÷ 2,800 kWh = 0.283€/kWh actually borne.
Choose your billing mode
Three options: flat fee baked into the nightly price (risky), submeter with manual readings (tedious), or connected prepayment that automatically bills the guest at the consumed kWh with no work on your end.
What the 2026 Airbnb electricity grid actually says
The official benchmarks to know before signing or billing.
Regulated blue tariff
The EDF blue tariff base option sits at 0.2276€/kWh inc. tax in 2026, with an annual subscription of 155€ for 6 kVA, 195€ for 9 kVA, 230€ for 12 kVA. EDF is the historic French utility. These values serve as a reference even if you're on a market offer.
Peak / off-peak hours
The peak/off-peak option becomes profitable above 6,000 kWh a year, or if the property runs overnight (water heater, timed washing machine). For an Airbnb rented during the day, the base option is often clearer.
TURPE and transmission
The TURPE pays Enedis to maintain the grid. It's already included in your subscription regardless of your supplier. Switching operator therefore never changes this share, only the kWh price and the base subscription.
Why understanding your electricity tariff changes everything
Four concrete benefits for a host who owns their grid.
Budget with no bad surprises
You know ahead of time what a night costs in energy and adjust your ADR accordingly. No more catastrophic August where AC eats your margin without you understanding why.
Pick the optimal subscription
A pointless 9 kVA costs 40€ more per year than a 6 kVA. Conversely, an undersized 6 kVA triggers outages that tank your guest rating. The right sizing comes down to precise math.
Bill fairly
Knowing your real average cost (around 0.28€/kWh once subscription is diluted), you set a passthrough rate that's neither abusive nor lossy. Heavy users pay, sober guests enjoy a cheaper night.
Save on your own home
Reflexes learned analyzing the Airbnb bill transfer to your own home. Many hosts realize, breaking down the five bricks, they've been overpaying for years on their primary residence.
Real case: a one-bedroom in Lyon on 6 kVA base option
Real annual breakdown for a studio rented 220 nights a year.
Energy allowance buried in the nightly rate
- • Fixed nightly price at 78€, energy estimated at 3€ a night with no real measurement
- • Actual consumption: 2,800 kWh over the year, including a spike of 420 kWh in August (AC unregulated)
- • Annual utility bill: 155€ subscription + 637€ kWh inc. tax = 792€ all-in
-132€
Annual loss on energy
Actual kWh passthrough via submeter
- • Nightly rate lowered to 75€, energy billed separately at 0.29€/kWh consumed
- • Same total consumption (2,800 kWh) but allocated to each guest pro rata their usage
- • Energy revenue: 812€ (2,800 × 0.29€), fully covering the 792€ utility bill
+20€
Annual margin after passthrough
Frequently asked questions on Airbnb electricity pricing
The eight questions short-term rental hosts ask most often.
Which electricity subscription should I pick for an Airbnb one-bedroom?
Should I switch to peak/off-peak for an Airbnb?
What does 1 kWh really cost in 2026?
Can I switch supplier (Ekwateur, Alpiq, TotalEnergies) for a short-term rental?
Is electricity VAT recoverable in para-hotel status?
Is an Airbnb submeter legal?
How do TURPE and CTA impact my rate?
How many kWh does an Airbnb use per night on average?
Discover also
Average electricity consumption in Airbnbs
kWh-per-night benchmarks for studios, one-bedrooms, two-bedrooms and villas, season by season, from 5,000 nights instrumented by Powtiva.
Bill your guests for electricity
Complete legal and operational guide to 3 methods (fixed, post-billing, prepayment) to transfer energy costs in short-term furnished rentals.
Prepaid electricity
How the prepaid meter works for furnished rentals.
Ready to bill your electricity at the true kWh price?
Install a Powtiva submeter, charge the guest at the consumed kWh, and recover 100% of your utility bill with zero negotiation.